44 - Wednesday, March 30, 1994 - North Shore News

epees geneentis meray ore 7 pesnerweten,

Support service expands to West Vancouver

NOT COVERED iu the pravin-
cial goversiment's health budget is
the emotional and supportive cost
of caring for an elderly relative
whose medical and emotional
needs reauire constant attention,
especially that person who suffers
from Alzheimer's disease or
another form of dementia.

By Greg Felton

Contributing Writer

Even though in-home care
gives seniors the familial support
and independence they would not
fiad in an institution, maintaining,
such care over an extended period
often requires more than many
caregivers can give by them-
selves.

For 2@ years, the Margaret
Fullon Centre at 12th St, and St.
Georges Ave. in North Vancouver
has been giving support and relief
to caregivers through its adult day
programs.

Five days a week, the centre
provides a range of recreational,
social and therapeutic activities,

Happily

as well as a hot lunch to approxi-
mately 20 clients,

All participants in the adult
day prograin, some of whom also
live alone, have some form of
health-related problem, said
Fulton director Fran Pattison.

“Some have a dementia, (but
others) have arthritis or stroke,
but have a mind that is totally
alert.”

According to Pattison, the day
program begins between 9 and
9:30 aan, when a HandyDart bus
picks up the seniors and brings
them to the centre.

Upon arrival, there is a 45
minute social time for meeting
new people. The morning focus is
a mentally stimulating 15-minute
presentation, usually a stide show,
video presentation or guest speak-
er, which is followed by a discus-
sion pericd for up fo an hour.

There follows a 20- to 30-
minuie exercise session after
which a hot Junch is served.

After a quiet time, seniors can
engage in a variety of afternoon
activities thal include bowling,

| Ever Afters

i Happen Here
Centrally located and fuily licensed to
provide for personal and intermediate
care, you too can enjoy a gracious
retirement lifestyle at South Granville
Park Ledge. We offer full recreation
and entertainment programs, private
accommodation, 24 hr. nursing under

the direction of Mary Hann R.N., and
an excellent choice menu supervised

by our dietician.

No wonder Aida and Jack are living
‘happily ever after in the comforts of home

... South Granville Park Lodge -

Vancouver's premier residence

for seniors.

Please call for an appointment today

SOUTH GRANVILLE
PARK LODGE
732-8633
1645 West 14th Avenue, Vancouver

cards, crafts, music and act.

“People always have a choice
of what they want to do,” said
Pattison. IC is Jostering this sense
of personal freedom,
she said, that is ihe
major reason for the
centre’s existence.

Because the Fulton
centre is the only
facility of its kind,
one of the problems
was transporting
scniors in from
Horseshoe Bay, said
Hilary Kiag, program
director of the non-
profit North Shore
Home Support
(NSHS) society,
which oversees the
adult day program.
However, that prob-
lem no longer exists.

Last month the
adult day program
found a West
Vancouver site in St.
David’s. Church at
1525 Taylor Way.

“{ think the need is
there in the communi-
ty,” said King. “The
population is aging .
and West Vancouver
especially has an
older population.”

By 1996, she said,
the total population of
relirement-aged peo-
ple on the North
Shore is expected to
be 26,177, of whom
5,777 will be over 80.

The figures for the

the Fulton centre which is also in
a church, the West Vancouver
Adult Day Centre will run only on
Wednesdays and Fridays for now.

“EUs really a funding ques-
tion,” said Pattison. “There are
people in the community who
would want to come five days 2

weck, and I have the
staff... we're ready to
20."

Pattison said fund-
ing comes mainly
from the Ministry of
Health, with addition-
al monies coming
from municipal gov-
ernments, institutions
and service clubs.

Most of the seniors
who come to the cen-
tres are referred
through the continu-
ing care branch of the
Ministry of Health
because they ure not
able to attend regular
senior citizens’ facili-
ties,

For those who
choose to pay private-
ly, the daily cost to
cover, transportation,
food and activilies, is
just over 361].

The frequency
with which seniors
come to the day cen-,
tres depends on their
need, said King.

“Some people go
five da'ys.a week,
some go one.” One
determinant is the use
made of the other sup-
port services NSHS
offers. Lo.

These include:

NEWS photo Cindy Goodmen _ assistance with fiouse-

year 2006 are esti- GATHERING FOR entertainment and companion- hold maintenance,
mated at 32,463 and ship is part of what gees into a North Shore personal care needs,

8,798 respectively.

Home Support program. These seniors meet at) meal planning and

Even though the the newly opened adult daycare in West prep-aration, private
new space is given Vancouver for conversation, table bowling and duty nursing care, as

Retirement living as it should be.

HOUSE

—_—____ For information please call 922-7616
HOLLYBURN) = 2095 Marine Dr, West Vancouver

well as a medical alert
service and social din-
ners. ;

“In a lot of cases, the home-
maker may go there at 8 a.m. to
get the person ready for the centre
and put them on the Handy-Dart,”.
she said. ;

The official opening of the -
West Vancouver centre takes
place on April 19 at 2 p.m. The
guest speaker will be Cathy
Redgrave from the ministry’s
continuing care branch.

“THE FOOD
YOU DRINK”

roe

NUTRITIONAL DRINK